Firefighter catches baby tossed from second floor window of burning building

A Georgia firefighter's quick-thinking helped him rescue an infant who was released from the window of a flaming apartment building.

DeKalb County firefighter Robert Sutton has been hailed a hero for catching the child, who was tossed from the second story. Video footage shows the rescue.

"It's a term that firefighters and officers alike don't hold onto or acknowledge, but it was heroic," said Captain Eric Jackson, the department's public information officer. "For a firefighter to be where he was and be keenly aware ... when the gentleman dropped the baby, he dropped him right into his arms."

The fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon at the two-story Glenwood Road apartment complex in Decatur, Georgia. The father of the baby had attempted to evacuate, but was cut off by fire. He then tossed the child from the second floor to Sutton on the ground level, to get his baby out of the smoke-filled area as quickly as possible. Soon after, the father was removed by the crew by way of ladder. The family escaped without any injuries, Captain Tom Burrell told ABC News.

Sutton, a 10-year veteran with the department, has been "very humble" since the incident, Burrell said about his colleague.

"He deflected a lot of the credit to being in the right place at the right time and the good work to his crew," he said. "He just happened to be the one standing there when the gentlemen found himself at the window. As a father of two children himself, I think anybody can understand that if that opportunity occurred, he could see himself in that man's shoes."

The video was captured by a contracted plumber who was doing work in the building next door, Captain Jackson said.